Set to air on Fox this fall, this year's Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony will go without a host. This is very similar to what happened earlier this year at the Oscars, which also went hostless for the first time in many years. The news was confirmed in an announcement by Fox CEO Charlie Collier on Wednesday at the Television Critics Association's press tour in Beverly Hills. Apparently, the decision came after some internal discussion at the network, with the idea being to instead focus on the many quality TV shows which will be recognized at the event.

While the decision was ultimately made to present the awards show with no host this year, Charlie Collier did admit some possible names were discussed internally. "We've had a lot of names on the board [internally] but the conclusion was reached this year that we're highlighting so many shows going away that it was a better use of the time [to focus on the shows]," Collier says. Still, the Fox CEO makes it clear the show will still have plenty to offer for viewers. "There will be entertainment. There will be an opening number. If you look at the trade-offs in a show like the Emmys, so often it's a trade-off between the opening acts and using the time elsewhere. There will be many surprises. It will be entertaining."

Officially, this is going to be the first time since 2003 the Emmys has gone without a host. Perhaps not so coincidentally, the event was also aired on Fox that year. For those who may not know, the Primetime Emmy Awards alternates between multiple major primetime networks every year, rotating between Fox, CBS, ABC, and NBC. Last year, the event aired on NBC and was hosted by Saturday Night Live stars Colin Jost and Michael Che. While the event was critically acclaimed, it would appear Fox is simply more keen on keeping the spotlight on the actual TV shows themselves this year.

Of course, forgoing a celebrity host for the Emmy Awards this year strongly echoes what happened with the last Academy Awards show. Previously, it was reported comedian and actor Kevin Hart would be hosting the event. Very soon after, Hart was deemed homophobic on social media based on tasteless jokes he had made almost a decade prior, which he had already apologized for. Because of the negative press, Hart wound up resigning as the host, and nobody wound up replacing him. Instead, the show went without a host, with various celebrities taking turns speaking on stage. For what it's worth, the show actually saw a spike in ratings compared to the year before.

This year will mark the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony. Those who wish to watch it can do so when the show airs live on Fox on Sept. 22, 2019 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California. With or without a host, there will be many fan favorite faces from television in attendance and the show should do just fine. This news comes to us from Entertainment Weekly.